Notre Dame de Lourdes
Troop 26
Santa Comes to Call
Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 had a visit from Saint Nick at their annual
Christmas Party during their last meeting in December.
All the Scouts got to have a personal visit with Santa, and had their pictures taken with him for posterity.
Don't miss that a number of the adults got their chance as well!
As we move into the new year, the Scouts are planning a great number of events. We look forward to another
six months of excitement with NDL Troop 26.
Halloween
The Scouts of Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 held their annual
Halloween Party during their last meeting in October.
A great number of Scouts, Parents, Troop Leaders and Webelos were in attendance a this event. Everyone had
a blast!!
Also in attendance were a number of boys from the neighborhood who were visiting the
troop meetings to see if they wanted to join. What a great opportunity for us to show off Scouting
as a fun and entertaining activity.
Church Cleanup
On October 23rd, the Scouts of Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 joined together to do their
annual church yard cleanup service project.
A number of Scouts and Leaders showed up early on Saturday morning. Following the unloading of the monthly
Serve New England delivery truck, they spent three hours working on cleaning up the leaves that had
recently been falling on the lawns and parking lots.
Service to the Church, and the Lowell Community continues to be a core focus of the Scouting26 programs.
Back to Wah-tut-ca
For the first time in over five years, Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 has decided to attend
Camp Wah-tut-ca, the local Boy Scout camp.
The Scouts are really having a great time, and the Camp Staff has been exceptional this year.
The summer camp experience is the highlight of the Scout Annual Program. The boys get to stay
away from home with their friends for a week in the woods.
They spend the week earning advancement, learning to get along with each other, and having a great time!
Washington DC Trip
During the April School vacation, a large number of Scouts, Parents and Leaders of Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 took a trip to
the national capital in Washington, DC.
A highlite of the year's program, this trip was one that the boys looked forward to for months.
Travelling by rented van, the group stayed at a local YMCA, and spent nearly 2 days touring the National Mall,
seeing the capital, the monuments, and of course the Air and Space Museum.
Serve New England
Each month, whenever it doesn't conflict with the monthly troop campout, Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop
26 supports the volunteer effors of Serve New England.
An organization designed to foster community service, Serve New England operates a monthly
community food co-op. Through local organizations and recruiting, a team of self-organized volunteers coordinates the collections
of fees, promotion, recording of volunteer service, and distribution of the food packages.
For a fee of about $15.00, anyone who wishes can receive a food package of a value of about $30.00 to $35.00. Whats more,
the package contains excellent selection of some pre-packaged foods, high quality frozen meats, and usually an excellent
selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to the fee, people receiving the package must certify that they have
performed at least 2 hours of service in their community.
A montly newsletter includes recipes for using some of the foods, news on the amount and types of services being
performed by Serve volunteers throughout the area, and a listing of where people in the community can sign up for the
monthly Serve packages.
The troop has been working with the local Serve New England host site that works out of Notre Dame de Lourdes Church.
The scouts and leaders help with unloading the delivery truck, breaking up the shipment into individual packages for distribution, and
helping with carrying the packages out to cars when necessary.
Venture Crew Climbs the Walls
The Notre Dame de Lourdes Venture Crew went climbing at the Mill City Rock Gym in Dracut on December 29, 1998.
With ten Scouts in attendance, this climbing trip was quite well
attended, and proved to be a very popular activity.
The Scouts spent nearly four hours climbing the walls, the cave, and just hangin' around. Check out the attached article for
more details.
A Little History
According to our current charter, we have been in continuous operation since 1955. This is something to be proud of. As a way to celebrate this a little, we are displaying our 1955 charter, as well as a number of other awards and achievements earned in those first years.
Boy Scouts Help to Dig Graves
 During the influenze epidemic of 1918, the Scouts of Notre Dame de Lourdes Troop 26 were called upon
to serve in quite a different way. See the article from the October 13, 1918 Lowell Sunday Telegram to
learn about how Scouts served their community during those days.
It is quite a difference from what we ask of the boys today!!
A special thank-you goes out to Janet Pohl from the Center for Lowell History, who
found this article while digging through the old microfilms..
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